Biographical Description

I joined the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program at Morgridge College of Education in the Spring of 2011. Prior to this, I served with Boulder Valley School District as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources where I have had a wealth of experiences in working with principals in the areas of employee relations, staffing, teacher and staff evaluation, and negotiations. Prior to working in Boulder, I spent 26 years in a variety of positions with Adams County School District 27J (Brighton) in the roles of Executive Director of Student Services and Special Education, and at the end of my time there, Executive Director of Human Resources. While in 27J, I was able to provide leadership through an interesting time of student growth and district expansion, as the district was the second fastest growth district in Colorado. Working in both a smaller, rapidly expanding school district, as well as a large urban district such as Boulder Valley, has provided me a variety of leadership opportunities in a environment that has been ever changing. A leader learns to" think on one's feet" and it can be both exciting and challenging! My advice to new administrators is to take the time to make the right decision, not just the popular one for the moment. Also, to not be hesitant with adversity, as the best way to deal with adversity and conflict is to work through it, see the opportunities with it, and learn from it.

On a personal note, my husband (a retired school psychologist) and I have been married for 40 great years and have two adult children, both students in the field of education currenlty completing their degrees at the university level. We enjoy traveling and camping, and time at home working on projects.